Asploro Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Case Reports

Asploro Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Case Reports

Girgis AM^1*, Chopra A¹, Finneran IV JJ¹, Greenberg MJ^1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, University of California, San Diego, USA

Corresponding Author: Alexander M. Girgis, MD ^{ORCID ID}
Address: 9452 Medical Center Dr, MC 0898, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Received date: 20 August 2020; Accepted date: 11 September 2020; Published date: 20 September 2020

Citation: Girgis AM, Chopra A, Finneran IV JJ, Greenberg MJ. Point of Care Ultrasound to Evaluate Peripheral Intravenous Catheters. Asp Biomed Clin Case Rep. 2020 Sept 20;3(3):213-16.

Copyright © 2020 Girgis AM, Chopra A, Finneran IV JJ, Greenberg MJ. This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords: Peripheral Intravenous Catheter, Infiltration, Point of Care Ultrasound, Patient Safety, Deep Peripheral Vein, Sedation

Glossary of Terms: PIV – Peripheral Intravenous Catheter(s), HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, G – Gauge, TM – Trademark, UT – Utah, USA – United States of America, UK – United Kingdom, ASA – American Society Anesthesiologists, mg – milligrams, mcg – micrograms, MHz – megahertz, WA – Washington

Abstract

Background: Several studies have described the use of ultrasound for the placement of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIV); however, visual and tactile inspection remains the primary clinical tool for the identification of infiltration. An improperly positioned PIV is an avoidable cause of significant morbidity and mortality to a patient.
Case: We describe a technique using point of care ultrasound for the assessment of two PIV to confirm functionality in a 68-year-old male scheduled for an above the knee amputation. This technique can be used for both superficial and deep peripheral veins where the detection of catheter infiltration by physical exam alone is often challenging.
Conclusion: The ubiquitous use of ultrasonography has revolutionized the field of medicine. Point of care ultrasound for the evaluation of questionable peripheral catheters can help prevent harm to a patient, especially during transitions of care.